#Faith at times does wonders

 A man had a fullsome meal in a modest restaurant in Bombay and when the waiter presented the bill he went straight to the manager and admitted honestly that he had no money. He added  that he hadn't eaten for the past two days and was terribly hungry so was forced to do this. 

The manager heard his story patiently as the man promised that the day he gets a job the first thing he would do was to settle the bill. The manager smiled and told him to leave wishing him luck. The waiter who stood watching the drama was aghast. He questioned the manager "Saab why did you let him go". The manager replied, "Go and do your work". 

Few months later the same man came to the restaurant and settled his pending bill to the utter dismay of the waiter. The man thanked the manager and told him that he had bagged an acting offer. The manager visibly happy offered him a cup of tea and a  friendship bloomed between the two. The actor soon became a known face and did multiple films at a time. 

Later he owned a bungalow and a chaufer driven car. Times had changed but everytime he passed by that area he made it a point to visit the restaurant for a cup of tea with the manager who had shown incredible sympathy years ago. 

Faith at times does wonders. Had the manager thrashed and humiliated the hungry man that day maybe the industry wouldn't have got a talented and natural actor called Om Prakash.

Salt -VS- Rice...

 If you were to cook 3 cups of rice, would  you add 3 cups of salt to it?

Certainly not!

So, in every preparation of rice, the rice always outnumbers the salt, yet a little salt makes a huge difference/impact in the overall outcome.

In the room in which you currently are, look up at the ceiling...

What is the size of the bulb compared to the size of the room? It is probably a ratio of 1:5000.

Yet, darkness flees the entire space once the small bulb is flipped on.

If I am the salt of the earth, and the light of the world, then "little me" has the ability to make big things happen..

Sometimes, because we feel outnumbered or overwhelmed at the sheer magnitude of evil or wrong-doers, we then choose powerlessness, and decide to go with the flow, not standing up for what we believe is right.

Little doesn't mean insignificant.

You are significant. Your presence should make a BIG difference. Stop waiting to be on the side of the majority. They may be the majority, but they are the trivial majority, and you are the impactful minority.

They are the rice of the world, and you are the salt of the world..

They are the room and you are the light.

Make your influence felt!

Remember:

You are the world's seasoning, to make it beautiful...

Power of words

 Once upon a time there was a bunch of baby frogs....… participating in a competition.

The target was to get to the top of a high tower.

A crowd of people had gathered to observe the race and encourage the participants.....

The start shot rang out....... 

Quite honestly:

None of the onlookers believed that the baby frogs could actually accomplish getting to the top of the tower.

Words like:

"Åh, it’s too difficult!!!

They’ll never reach the top."

or:

"Not a chance... the tower is too high!"

One by one some of the baby frogs fell off…...Except those who fastly climbed higher and higher.. 

The crowd kept on yelling:

"It’s too difficult. Nobody is going to make it!"

More baby frogs became tired and gave up... 

...But one kept going higher and higher.....

He was not about giving up!

At the end everybody had given up, except the one determined to reach the top!

All the other participants naturally wanted to know how he had managed to do what none of the others had been able to do!

One competitor asked the winner, what was his secret?

The truth was.......

The winner was deaf!!!! 

The lesson to be learned:

Don’t ever listen to people who are negative and pessimistic...

…they will deprive you of your loveliest dreams and wishes you carry in your heart!

Always be aware of the power of words, as everything you hear and read will interfere with your actions!

Therefore:

Always stay…

POSITIVE!

And most of all:

Turn a deaf ear when people tell you,  that you cannot achieve your dreams!

Always believe:

You can make it!

State of mind.

 Kalyanasundaram is a social worker from Tamil Nadu in India, working for orphans.  

He has donated his pension for this cause.

He is a gold medalist in library science and has completed his MA in literature and history

Kalyanasundaram has worked in the field of social services for more than 45 years.

He worked as a Librarian for 30 years.

Every month in his 30 year experience (service), he donated his entire salary to help the needy.

He worked as a server in a hotel to meet his needs.

He donated even his pension amount of about ten lakh rupees to the needy. He is the first person in the world to spend the entire earnings for a social cause.

In recognition to his service, an American organization honored him with the ‘Man of the Millennium’ award.

He received a sum of Rs 30 crores as part of this award which he distributed entirely for the needy as usual.

Moved by his passion to help others, Super Star Rajinikanth adopted him as his father.

He still stays as a bachelor and dedicated his entire life for serving the society.

·         Best librarian in India award by Union Government

·         Top 10 librarians in the world

 

Everything is a state of mind.

Finally, what do we take with us when we leave planet earth?”

Don't blow the whistle yourself.

 I watched a local football match in a school playing ground.

As I sat down, I asked one of the boys what the score was.

With a smile, he replied; they are leading us 3-0.

And I said, REALLY.

I have to say you don't look discouraged.

"Discouraged" the boy asked with a puzzled look.

Why should I be discouraged when the referee has not blown the final whistle.

I have confidence in the team and the managers; we shall definitely overcome.

Truly, the match ended 5-4 in favor of the boy's team.

He waved at me gently, with a beautiful smile as he left; I was amazed, mouth wide open; Such confidence; Such beautiful faith.

As I got back home that night, his question kept coming back to me - .....

Why should I be discouraged when the referee has not blown the final whistle.

Life is like a game....

Why be discouraged, when there is still life.

Why be discouraged when your final whistle has not sounded.

The truth is that many people blow the final whistle themselves....

But as long as there is life, nothing is impossible and it is never too late for you.

Half time is not full time.

Don't blow the whistle yourself.

Be sure of what is a problem

 One day, a bus driver went to the bus garage, started his bus, and drove off along the route.

No problems for the first few stops-a few people got on, a few got off, and things went generally well.

At the next stop, however, a big hulk of a guy got on.

Six feet height, built like a wrestler, arms hanging down to the ground.

He glared at the driver and said, "Big John doesn't need to pay!" and sat down at the back.

Did I mention that the driver was five feet three, thin, and basically weak? Well, he was.!

Naturally, he didn't argue with Big John, but he wasn't happy about it.

The next day the same thing happened-Big John got on again, made a show of refusing to pay, and sat down.

And the next day, and the one after that and so forth.!

This grated on the bus driver, who started losing sleep over the way Big John was taking advantage of him.

Finally he could stand it no longer.

He signed up for body building courses, karate, judo, and all that good stuff.

By the end of the summer, he had become quite strong; what's more, he felt really good about himself.

So on the next Monday, when Big John once Again got on the bus and said, "Big John doesn't pay!," The driver stood up, glared back at the passenger, and screamed, "And why not?"

With a surprised look on his face, Big John replied, *"Big John has a bus pass."*

Be sure of what is a problem in the first place before working hard to solve one.

*Quite often in life we over-evaluate the problems and start working on huge solutions spending time, money, effort, energy and focus, whereas, in actual, problems eventually are not that big!*

Most of Our life is actually as above story !

#Harvard - learn to be happier

 Did you know that at Harvard, one of the most prestigious universities in the world, the most popular and successful course teaches you how to learn to be happier?__ The Positive Psychology class taught by Ben Shahar attracts 1400 students per semester and 20% of Harvard graduates take this elective course. According to Ben Shahar, the class - which focuses on happiness, self-esteem and motivation - gives students the tools to succeed and face life with more joy._This 35-year-old teacher, considered by some to be "the happiness guru", highlights in his class 14 key tips for improving the quality of our personal status and contributing to a positive life:

🚩Tip 1. * Thank God for everything you have: * Write down 10 things you have in your life that give you happiness. Focus on the good things!

🚩Tip 2. * Practice physical activity * Experts say exercising helps improve mood. 30 minutes of exercise is the best antidote against sadness and stress.

🚩Tip 3. * Breakfast: * Some people miss breakfast for lack of time or not to get fat. Studies show that breakfast gives you energy, helps you think and perform your activities successfully.

🚩Tip 4. * Assertive *: Ask what you want and say what you think. Being assertive helps improve your self-esteem. Being left and remaining silent creates sadness and hopelessness.

🚩Tip 5. * Spend your money on experiences..a study found that 75% of people felt happier when they invested their money in travel, courses and classes; While only the rest said they felt happier when buying things.

🚩Tip 6. * Face your challenges *: Studies show that the more you postpone something, the more anxiety and tension you generate. Write short weekly lists of tasks and complete them.

🚩Tip 7. * Put everywhere nice memories, phrases and photos of your loved ones *: Fill your fridge, your computer, your desk, your room, YOUR LIFE of beautiful memories.

🚩Tip 8. * Always greet and be nice to other people *: More than 100 inquiries state that just smiling changes the mood.

🚩Tip 9. * Wear comfortable shoes *: If your feet hurt you, you become moody, says Dr. Keinth Wapner, President of the American Orthopedics Association.

🚩Tip 10. * Take care of your posture *: Walk straight with your shoulders slightly backwards and the front view helps to maintain a good mood.

🚩Tip 11. * Listen to music * (Praise God): It is proven that listening to music awakens you to sing, this will make your life happy.

🚩Tip 12. * What you eat has an impact on your mood *:- Do not skip meals, eat lightly every 3 to 4 hours and keep glucose levels stable.- Avoid excess white flour and sugar.- Eat everything! Healthy- Vary your food.

🚩Tip 13. * Take care of yourself and feel attractive *:70% of people say they feel happier when they think they look good.

🚩Tip 14. * Fervently believe in God *: With him nothing is impossible! 

Happiness is like a remote control, we lose it every time, we go crazy looking for it and many times without knowing it, we are sitting on top of it ...

We don't know what the future holds for us

After conquering the world, Sikander was looking for a kind of water, which would make him immortal after he drank it.

After much wandering in the world for a long time, Sikander eventually found that place, where he could get nectar.

He entered the cave, where there was a waterfall of nectar. He became joyful. 

He was inclined to drink with the nectar in Anjali, when a crow who was sitting inside the cave, said loudly, 'Wait, stop, do not drink it.'

Sikander looked towards the crow. The Crow was in a state of great misery. The feathers had fallen, the paws had fallen, also had become blind. 

Sikander said, 'Why R u stopping me ?'

Crows replied, 'Listen to my story. I was looking for the same water so that I would also become immortal.  I drank this nectar and Now I can not die, but I want to die now. See my condition I have become blind, feathers have fallen, I can't even fly. 

 Once you reflect on my condition , then only decide to drink Amrit. I have been screaming so that someone can kill me, but nobody can help me.

Now praying to God that the Lord kills me. The only desire is to die in some way.

Sikander reflected. Then quietly returned out of the cave, without nectar

Sikander had understood that the happiness of life remains till that time, as long as he was in a position to enjoy that happiness.

So Enjoy each and every moment. We don't know what the future holds for us. 

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Many years ago, Norman Cousins was diagnosed as “terminally ill”. He was given six months to live. His chance for recovery was 1 in 500.

He could see the worry, depression and anger in his life contributed to, and perhaps helped cause, his disease. He wondered, “if illness can be caused by negativity, can wellness be created by positivity?” 

He decided to make an experiment on himself. Laughter was one of the most positive activities he knew. He rented all the funny movies he could find – Keaton, Chaplin, Fields, the Marx Brothers. (This was before VCRs, so he had to rent the actual films.) He read funny stories. He asked his friends to call him whenever they said, heard or did something funny.

His pain was so great that he could not sleep. Laughing for 10 solid minutes, he found, relieved the pain for several hours so he could sleep. He fully recovered from his illness and lived another 20 happy, healthy and productive years. (His journey is detailed in his book, Anatomy of an Illness.) He credits visualization, the love of his family and friends, and laughter for his recovery.  Some people think laughter is a waste of time. It is a luxury, they say, a frivolity, something to indulge in only every so often.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Laughter is essential to our equilibrium, to our well-being, to our aliveness. If we’re not well, laughter helps us get well; if we are well, laughter helps us stay that way. Since Cousins’ ground-breaking subjective work, scientific studies have shown that laughter has a curative effect on the body, the mind and the emotions.

So, if you like laughter, consider it sound medical advice to indulge in it as often as you can. If you don’t like laughter, then take your medication – laugh anyway.  Give yourself permission to laugh – long and loud and out loud – whenever anything strikes you as funny. The people around you may think you’re strange, but sooner or later they’ll join in even if they don’t know what you’re laughing about.

Some diseases may be contagious, but none is as contagious as the cure …… laughter.

A rare conversation between *Ramkrishna Paramahansa* & *Swami Vivekananda*

A rare conversation between *Ramkrishna Paramahansa* & 

*Swami Vivekananda*

*1. Swami Vivekanand*:- I can’t find free time. Life has become hectic.

*Ramkrishna Paramahansa*:- Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you free.

*2. Swami Vivekanand:-* Why has life become complicated now?

*Ramkrishna Paramahansa:-* Stop analyzing life... It makes it complicated. Just live it.

*3. Swami Vivekanand*:- Why are we then constantly unhappy?

*Ramkrishna Paramahansa:*- Worrying has become your habit. That’s why you are not happy.

*4. Swami Vivekanand:-* Why do good people always suffer?

*Ramkrishna Paramahansa*:- Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don’t suffer.

With that experience their life becomes better, not bitter.

*5. Swami Vivekanand:*- You mean to say such experience is useful?

*Ramkrishna Paramahansa*:- Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons later.

*6. Swami Vivekanand:-* Because of so many problems, we don’t know where we are heading…

*Ramkrishna Paramahansa:-* If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides the way.

*7. Swami Vivekanand:-* Does failure hurt more than moving in the right direction?

*Ramkrishna Paramahansa:*- Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you.

*8. Swami Vivekanand:*- In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

*Ramkrishna Paramahansa:*- Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

*9. Swami Vivekanand:-* What surprises you about people?

*Ramkrishna Paramahansa:*- When they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me?"

*10. Swami Vivekanand:-* How can I get the best out of life?

*Ramkrishna Paramahansa*:- Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

*11. Swami Vivekanand:*- One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

*Ramkrishna Paramahansa:*- There are no unanswered prayers. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live.

Shake off Your Problems

Shake off Your Problems

A man’s favorite donkey falls into a deep precipice. He can’t pull it out no matter how hard he tries. He therefore decides to bury it alive.

Soil is poured onto the donkey from above. The donkey feels the load, shakes it off, and steps on it. More soil is poured.

It shakes it off and steps up. The more the load was poured, the higher it rose. By noon, the donkey was grazing in green pastures.

Same lessons we learn in life. After much shaking off (of problems) And stepping up (learning from them), One will graze in GREEN PASTURES.

Encourage and inspire others

In Crown Heights, there was a Jewish man named Yankel, who owned a bakery. He survived the concentration camps, and always said, "You know why it is that I’m alive today?"

"I was a kid, just a teenager at the time. We were on the train being taken to Auschwitz. Night came and it was deathly cold in that boxcar. The Germans would leave the cars on the side of the tracks overnight, sometimes for days on end without any food, and no blankets to keep us warm," he said.

"Sitting next to me was this beloved elderly Jewish man from my hometown. He was shivering from head to toe, and looked terrible. So I wrapped my arms around him to warm him up. I rubbed his arms, his legs, his face, his neck. I begged him to hang on. All night long, I kept the man warm this way.

"I was tired, and freezing cold myself. My fingers were numb, but I didn’t stop rubbing heat into that old man’s body. Hours and hours went by until finally, morning came and the sun began to shine. When there was some light in the boxcar, I looked around to see the other people. To my horror, all I could see were frozen bodies. All I could hear was deathly silence.

"Nobody else in that cabin made it through the night. They died from the cold. Only two people survived: the old man and me. The old man survived because somebody kept him warm...and I survived because I was warming someone else.

"Can I tell you the secret to survival in this world? When you warm other people’s hearts, you remain warm yourself. When you seek to support, encourage and inspire others, then you discover support, encouragement and inspiration in your own life as well. That is the secret to life."

Don’t ever forget it

A popular speaker started off a seminar by holding up a Re 100 note.  A crowd of 200 had gathered to hear him speak. He asked, “Who would like this 100 rupees note?”

200 hands went up.

He said, “I am going to give this to one of you but first, let me do this.” He crumpled the note.

He then asked, “Who still wants it?”

All 200 hands were still raised.

“Well,” he replied, “What if I do this?” Then he dropped the note on the ground and stomped on it with his shoes.

He picked it up, and showed it to the crowd. The note was all crumpled and dirty.

“Now who still wants it?”

All the hands still went up.

“My friends, I have just shown you a very important lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth Rs 100. 

Many times in our lives, life crumples us and grinds us into the dirt. We make bad decisions or deal with poor circumstances. We feel worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are special – Don’t ever forget it!

#workfromhome

Should the Corporates Invade our Homes?

A youngster was attending a video conference with his Manager who was upset over the background noises. The Youngster turned around and told his grandmother to keep quiet. 

She walked towards the youngster, to take a look into what he was doing and saw a person on the Monitor and asked, “Who is he?”

The youngster muted his audio and video and said, “He is my Manager”.

She said, “I want to talk to your Manager”. But the youngster denied. By the time the Manager started pinging the youngster and the youngster unmuted to talk and his grandmother shouted, “Manager I want to talk to you".

The Manager agreed and the youngster unmuted the video. The grandmother, with a smile said, “Vanakkam” and introduced herself and the Manager also greeted her.

She said, “You look upset”. 

The Manager said, “Yeah, some kind of work tension, a lot of noise around your house and we are not able to complete the meeting in time”.

The Grand Mother asked, “May I help solve your problem?”

Her grandson was stopping her and telling her to keep quiet.

The Manager said, “It’s ok, let her speak”.

The Grandmother narrated, “Once there was a Young man, who sat under a tree for taking rest. He was continuously hearing a bird’s sound. He lifted his head and seeing a bird, started chasing it, so that he could peacefully take some rest. The bird came closer to him and said, “You are taking rest under my nest. I will not ask you to leave this place but you should learn to co-exist with us”.

The Grandmother looked at both of them and said, “Your Home is your nest” where you are supposed to take rest and bond with your dear and near ones. I do understand the Covid-19 situation, but you should also understand that our home is not your office. 

*When we come to visit our family members at your office place, we are expected to behave professionally or maintain a certain decorum.*

Similarly, when you are using our home for your office work, you should understand the situation at our home.

There is nothing wrong with working from home, but remember, it is the family members benevolent nature, that is keeping the corporate world functioning today and the economy running.

She looked at the manager and asked, “Am I correct ?”

*The Manager’s mother peeped and said "You are absolutely right”.*

Thank you #God

A, 93 year old man in Italy, got better in the hospital, thus he was told to *pay for the ventilator for one day and the old man cried*. The doctor advised him not to cry over the bill, but what the old man said made all the doctors cry.

Grandpa said, *"I'm not crying because of the money I have to pay*. I can pay money for teatment of all the patient in the hospital. I cry because I have been breathing God's air for 93 years &  never paid for it. It takes 500Euros to use a ventilator in a hospital for one day. *Do you know how much I owe to God*? And even I didn't thank God for that before. "

The truth of the news can't be verified but oldman's words are worth our reflection. When we breathe the air freely without pain or illness, no one takes the air seriously. Only when we enter the hospital can we know that even breathing oxygen costs money!

Cherish the time when we can breathe freely! 

And *THANK GOD FOR ALL THE GRACE/THE FREE GIFTS, BEING SHOWERED UPON US* 🙏🙏🙏